Toxic: Yash Starrer Secures Massive Distribution Deals Despite Teaser Backlash And Religious Objection

Hyderabad: Yash's upcoming film Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups is making headlines for two very different reasons. On one side, the film has secured big distribution deals across India and overseas. On the other side, it is facing controversy over its teaser, with a Christian group filing a complaint with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Let us first talk about the big business news. Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh recently shared that Anil Thadani's AA Films will distribute Toxic in North India and Nepal. This marks a reunion between AA Films and Yash after the huge success of KGF Chapter 1 and KGF Chapter 2. Calling it a strong collaboration, Adarsh wrote that AA Films is "one of India's most influential distribution houses."

Another trade analyst described the partnership as "Pan-India forces unite." Anil Thadani praised the film and said in a statement, "Toxic is designed for the big screen with scale, depth and technical finesse Indian audiences are hungry for." He also added that Yash "pushes the envelope even further" with this project.

The film has also locked a record-breaking overseas deal. The makers have partnered with Phars Film for international distribution of the Indian-language versions. The deal is valued at Rs 105 crore on a commission basis. It includes the Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam versions. The English version is not part of this deal. Producer Venkat K Narayana's statement read, "Toxic has been conceived as a film with a broad cinematic language. For a project of this size, it was important to work with an overseas partner that has strong reach and experience."

However, even before the full trailer release, Toxic has landed in trouble. The National Christian Federation (NCF) has filed a complaint against the film's teaser. The group has written to the Film Chamber of Commerce, the state government, and the CBFC. The complaint says that certain scenes in the teaser hurt religious sentiments.

According to the NCF, the teaser shows an intimate scene inside a car parked outside a cemetery, followed by a gunfight in the same area. The complaint also objects to the depiction of Archangel Michael's statue shown in the background. The group has demanded that these scenes be removed and the teaser be taken down from YouTube and other platforms.

Earlier, the teaser had faced criticism for showing bold scenes. Some viewers called it unnecessary, while others defended it. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap supported the film during a public event. He said, "The outrage expressed against the teaser reveals our cultural hypocrisy." He added that when male actors show machismo on screen, nobody questions it, but when a woman expresses her sexuality, it becomes a problem.

Directed by Geethu Mohandas and co-written by Yash, Toxic also stars Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi and others. The film is set to release worldwide on March 19, 2026, during the festive weekend of Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Eid. It will clash with Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar 2 at the box office.

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